Poll: Norm Coleman is GOP pick for 2014 Dayton rival

ST. PAUL, MN - SEPTEMBER 02: U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) smiles on stage on day two of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Xcel Energy Center on September 2, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota. The GOP will nominate U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) as the Republican choice for U.S. President on the last day of the convention. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton leads potential Republicans who may challenge him in 2014, according to a new poll.

Former Sen. Norm Coleman was the favorite among Republicans to challenge Dayton, with 57 percent saying they'd like him to be the GOP candidate next year. No one else got more than 5 percent.

Coleman has said he's not interested in running for governor. In a hypothetical head-to-head with Dayton, the poll has Coleman trailing 52-39.

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty was the only Republican who posted better numbers than Coleman. In an unlikely comeback, Pawlenty trailed Dayton 50-42 in the poll.

None of the other Republicans tested in the survey -- state Rep. Kurt Zellers, former state Rep. Keith Downey, state Sen. Julie Rosen, and Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson -- have greater than 33 percent name recognition. They all trailed Dayton by margins greater than 20 points in the poll.

The poll was conducted Jan. 18-20, with 1,065 voters and 275 usual GOP primary voters surveyed. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points for the overall sample; and plus or minus 5.9 percentage points for the Republican sample.